1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic camera, and to a method of operating an electronic camera adapted to capture an image of a subject, record the image on a recording medium, and also transfer recorded information to external equipment.
2. Related Background Art
Electronic cameras have been known in the past wherein picture information picked up by an image pickup device is recorded on a recording medium.
In such an electronic camera, the recording medium may be repeatedly used by erasing recorded information at an appropriate time. To this end, known electronic cameras are provided with various functions for erasing recorded information.
As one example of such erasing functions, it is known to erase all of the recorded information on a recording medium at one time by a manual command operation (as disclosed in Laid-Open Publication No. 6-90422 of Japanese Patent Application, for example).
It is also known to erase recorded information on a recording medium one item at a time by a manual command operation, while confirming this item of recorded information on a monitor screen, for example.
Many types of electronic cameras are known which have a function to transfer recorded information on a recording medium to external equipment. In transferring the recorded information to the external equipment utilizing this transfer function, the recorded information may be backed up or suitably processed as needed.
The transfer function may also be used to transfer the recorded information directly to an external printing apparatus so as to provide a printed copy or output of the recorded information.
In many cases, the recorded information transferred from the electronic camera to the external equipment is normally saved or output at the location to which the information was transferred, and it is erased at some time in the electronic camera.
In known cameras, when recorded information is transferred, the operator must determine whether each item of the recorded information has been transferred. This requires the operator to rely on memory or on a note made at the time of the transfer. This procedure is cumbersome, and possibly inaccurate, and is thus undesirable.